Manifest Destiny
by cyangrumpy
Summary: Years in the Underground may be seconds in our world. It's the new generation of the Underground. Which means a new Goblin King, and most of all other new characters are afoot. The Labyrinth has changed into a much darker place.
1. The New Underground

**Disclaimer:**Sadly, I do not own the Labyrinth! Also, the story name is a song by Guster. Enjoy!

Tell me what you think of it! Sorry for any mistakes and such, I tried my best!

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><p>As if the world frowned upon the girl, who sat upon her own disaster, the sky darkened and rumbled. A storm was nearing, and Blake would be all alone at the house her job was centered around. Well, that is if she made it to there at all. The car next to her was not helping, and the puddle water splashed against her shoes. It was just her luck today, the lateness that would fall upon her would make her day much worse. There's no such thing as a forgiving person in her little town. It was why Blake wanted to leave so badly.<p>

Blake's car had broken down, for the third time this month, and was forced to run the last half mile toward the destination. Her arms outstretched, shielding her head from the current downpour, the sweat shirt not blocking out any the rain. Her attitude was not very kind against the weather at the moment. Then again, with all the thunder, the weather was not agreeing with her either.

This 17 year old was a not exactly a beauty. Her tangled dirty blond hair and brown eyes were nothing special, but was no where near ugly. Her personality of being sarcastic and out of this world always separated her from her classmates. Soon, Blake would get out of this town and leave this awful place. Blake wasn't much with fashion these days, spending more time outside and trying to get away from the situation at hand. It took a toll on her, leaving her in the dust from the other girls. Hey, at least Blake had a reason to be so...Strange.

Ever since freshmen year, where Blake was in the popular crowd, something changed within Blake. A lot has happened between freshmen and senior year. As a junior, Blake was second in charge, a follower to her queen bee. Blake wasn't nearly as mean or cruel, but had her over bearing thirst for perfection. Nobody was safe from 'Perfect Blake', that was until her ungraceful fall from the "it" crowd, where most of the school shunned her away. The reason this happened was because Blake's friend Katie disappeared.

This made Blake bitter, snapping at everyone, especially when the last words Katie said to her was that she would never be perfect as she wanted to be. Blake figured it was easier to be the perfect mess, then to be perfect. This let out a chain of reactions, and Blake soon didn't care about anything, especially school. Now that it was the summer before senior year, her mother forced her to get a job and actually interact once and a while.

"Oh, man! I'm going to be late! They're going to kill me!" Blake groaned, the neighborhood coming into view. Blake's backpack on her shoulder held very few items, mostly for her babysitting job she was heading to. One item was of sleeping pills, you know just in case. At this very moment Blake cursed her summer job, only 17 and her wasted years were unbearable. Blake wanted to curse out the lady she worked for everyday. She was a class-A bitch.

Soon, the house Blake knew very well came into view, and her soaked clothes felt heavy and itchy. The door opened very suddenly, and out stepped a snobby looking women. It was as if Ms. Green was watching Blake very closely, just to poke fun at her being a bit late. This was Mrs. Green, a upper middle class women, who would rather go out to dinner then even glance at her children, Eddie and Gwen. Eddie, who was just as bad, was about 2 and was very hard on his babysitter.

"It's 7:00, and you're late." Her sharp tongue made Blake stop in her tracks. The rain pitter-pattered on her clothes, quite faintly. The noise made her nose twitch with annoyance. The family dog tagging after her run, just to see what was going on. The wet, slippery dog bumped into Blake's leg. The dog was always happy to see a less then friendly Blake."Well, don't just stand there! Come in, and put that dog back in the garage for me." Her commands were demanding, and Blake had to hold herself back from giving her a piece of her mind.

Doing as she was told, knowing the money would be well spent on college, Blake ushered the loud dog into the garage, and stepped through the door into her personal hell. A small part of Blake felt a bit sorry for the dumb dog, knowing how awful it would be to be locked out. Her thoughts quickly returned back to the babysitting. The other child, who went by the name Gwen, was now 11 and was constantly over a friend's house. It was a relief to only take care of one kid, especially when they can be so loud.

"You can't be this late again, me and Mr. Green hardly ever go out!" The women exclaimed, quite dramatically if you asked the teenager standing just a few steps away. Blake mentally rolled her eyes. _You go out every weekend._Her thoughts cursing out her employer. Mrs. Green always tried to give Blake a guilt trip, criticizing everything she saw the younger girl do.

"We only ask to babysit if you are able to make it!" Mrs. Green gave Blake the evil eye, a thing that happened most often. Blake shook off her wet jacket, and hung it over her bag, placing it on the sofa. Blake could just fell the look of distaste on the mother's face. It made Blake feel a bit better about her day, taking extra long just to bug the old lady.

"We feed Eddie, and put him to bed. He won't be much trouble." Mr. Green promised, walking into the room like nothing was wrong, Blake actually liked Mr. Green. Mr. Green was a timid man, and was quite a role model, but his children seemed to be a lot more like their mother. Sadly, Mr. Green was barely there for his kids after all, so both parents were at fault for the behavior the two kids created. "We were worried you wouldn't show!" His joking tone was showing, but Blake could tell the wife was all over the place about her being late.

"Alright, you two have fun!" Blake said, waving them out the door. The two left, only Mr. Green saying goodbye. A evening of television would satisfy for lack of socialization, mostly because Blake wasn't allowed to bring a companion, especially not a male. Then again, Blake didn't have anybody to bring in the first place. The rules of the house were quite simple, but annoying to follow. No junk food, no calling out for dinner, no using the house phones, no sleeping, don't touch anything glass, and (The most important rule of all)no swearing! Not that these things ever stopped Blake.

Soon, after Blake made her way to Eddie's room, a cry erupted from the child. The break of silence made the teen cover her ears. This _always_happens, Eddie wasn't known for ever being a easy kid to babysit. He constantly cried, no matter what you tried to do. Never the less, Blake opened to door to his and Gwen's shared room, and grabbed the little munchkin. Blake wasn't very good with kids, but she was a fast learner. Blake had to stop herself from rolling her eyes.

"Oh, stop that Eddie!" The desperate teen begged him, feeling already angered from the loud cries from the kid. "It's not fair!" Blake cried, the noise hurting her ears as the kid just got worse. Blake, outside of her job, was normally quiet and distant from the world. Blake put the toddler down, racing down the stairs to get her bag. Tossing aside her wet sweat shirt, Blake grabbed a book with her bag, and pulled enough energy to get back upstairs within a record time.

Blake found that Eddie loved stories, or maybe just the sound of Blake's calm voice. Blake always brought a certain book, it's golden lettering on the book read _"The Labyrinth"_. Blake always told this story, because she once heard Mrs. Green click her tongue and always suggest a story off the book shelf. Following the rules were boring.

"Through dangers untold and hardships unnumbered, I have fought my way here to the castle beyond the Goblin City to take back the child that you have stolen."Blake bent slightly over, reciting the quote that had burned itself into her head. A smiled appeared and disappeared from her face. For once, it wasn't working. "You want a story, right?" Blake asked, feeling angered over the pent up rage.

"Once upon a time, there was a beautiful young girl whose mother forced her to get a job, where the employer always made her stay home with the baby. Obviously she was a babysitter. And the baby was a spoiled child, and wanted everything to himself, and the young girl was practically a slave. But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the the girl, and he had given her certain powers. So one night, when the baby had be particularly cruel to her, she called on the goblins for help!"

Her words were stronger then she realized, awakening something that had not been used in years. Blake's eyes burned with passion, this kid had gotten the better of her for years. Sure, Blake did like the little bugger, but Mrs. Green always treated her like a poor servant girl, ready to give up her life. It was maddening. The toddler just kept crying though, and Blake growled with frustration. Blake shoved the book down, and picked up the baby once more.

"All I have to do is say the right words." Blake whispered, her eyes meeting the innocent ones of the child. Blake knew the words, of course, The Labyrinth had been her favorite book, the moment it fell into her lap. A unspoken bond was placed between herself and the book, ever since the girl entered the dust filled attic and saw it. "I'll say the words." Blake threatened, saying the first words over and over again.

The girl and the baby twirled around in circles, but the crying didn't cease. "I wish, I wish, I wish. Eddie stop it!" Blake yelled, making them both more upset. "I wish...The goblins would take you away." Blake placed the baby back in the crib, planning to block out the sound from downstairs. Blake made small steps toward the door, reaching it after a few moments. "Right now."

Blake turned off the light, but the sound suddenly wasn't there. Blake peeked through the slightly closed door, wondering what had came over the small child so quickly. Blake switched on the light, but the thunder overhead rumbled to suggest the power was knocked out. Yet, oddly the hall light was still on. Blake made a face as she flicked the light switch at least 5 times before giving up. The window's shadows made Blake weary, frightening her slightly. Her worst fear came alive.

The crib was empty. Where the hell was Eddie?

Laughter could be heard around, and Blake turned and turned to find only emptiness. The window's view was suddenly blocked bu a huge bird, a while owl. Finally, Blake stumbled back onto the bed, panic stricken and scared. The window broke open, and in flew a beautiful huge white owl, shards of glass, glitter, and leaves fell over the room. A man appeared in place of the bird.

This was no ordinary man, his features were quite inhumanly pretty, as if he was perfect physically. His hair was a dark brown, and slightly shaggy. His uniform was out of style, and his gloved hands were outstretched toward her. n his fingers was one crystal. His dark clothes made his brilliant green eyes stand out, probably his best feature. His eyes met Blake's, and his lips formed a small smirk. It was unnerving. His aura swept over Blake.

"Oh!" Blake exclaimed, brushing the glass off her as if it was nothing more then dust, this had to be a dream. There was no other explanation. At least one that would make sense, realistically. "You're...You're the Goblin King." Blake's voice was full of curiosity. Perhaps Blake was on drugs or something. See, that made a lot more sense then the Goblin King being real. "You're not real." Blake added, closing her eyes and placing a hand over her face.

"You must be the newest victim, I might add that you look quite different from the last girl, she was far less attractive." His playful voice was dark, and brought on a sense of being watched. "I am very real, Blake. Open your eyes and I will still be here." His tone mocked Blake, but she didn't object, just opened her eyes. Her sense of fighting back was slightly altered, placed by confusion.

"I want that kid back-"

"Blake, it doesn't work like that." A glare formed upon his face. "You see, you wished him away. And I have to for fill a wish, my pretty." His smirk widened slightly, moving closer slightly. The wind picked up, reaching over to Blake.

"You see, I have to get him back. I babysit him! He's not even my kid! They'll kill me! Please! I didn't mean it!" Blake said, keeping the thought back that she couldn't just leave Eddie within the hands of a stranger. Even Eddie deserves a better life then that! I mean, Blake was certainly dreaming now.

"What a pity. You didn't mean it, huh? I've heard that before. Blake, why don't back and play with your little kitties, and boyfriends. Forget about the kid, he's gone now." Blake shook her head. "I've brought you a gift. If you turn it this way, it will show you your dreams. Do you want this?" He drew closer to the teen, her eyes following the crystal.

"Yes, I want it." Her whisper was all she had, her voice felt so far away.

"Then forget the baby! What said is said. Ever heard the saying 'Careful what you wish for?'" Blake shook her head once more, as if denying The Goblin King.

"Listen here, Goblin King!" Blake stood up, finding her courage once again. "No asshole will take this kid from me. So, why don't you wave your frilly clothes, and give me back that whiny little stupid...Kid." Blake snapped at him, standing to her full height, and still was a head shorter then the Goblin King. A stray thought of this man not being what the book described cross through her head.

"Oh, well. Here comes to fun part. There is only one way to get the child." The man stepped back onto the window ledge, and smiled down at Blake. He laughed at her softly. "You must complete the labyrinth. Good luck with that, you're nothing compared to the last winner."

The Goblin King grabbed Blake's hand,and pulled. Suddenly, Blake and the Goblin King were standing in a grassy hill, peering down at the maze. Blake pulled her hand away, and leaned on a sullen looking tree. Blake didn't even have time to be offended from what he said to her. This was all overwhelming. Everything was going too fast. Yet, the challenge was tempting.

"Doesn't look too bad." Blake muttered, obviously trying to console herself, and only herself. "You watch me beat you." Blake muttered under her breath, folding her arms. Hey, might as well enjoy the drug induced dream.

"It's farther then you think. This is your last chance to turn around" The Goblin King replied, twirling the glass ball within his fingers. Blake didn't even move a inch. "Ah, I see you've picked. You have 13 hours in which to solve the labyrinth before your baby brother... becomes one of us... Forever. ...Such a pity." His voice faded away, and Blake stood alone, the wind picking up and tangling her dirty blond hair.

"This is just great." Blake said, glancing around at the front. "Well, it's ok. I'll wake up, and laugh at my stupid self." Mumbling to herself, Blake started down the hill. Part of her would give anything to have dry clothes.

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><p>Don't forget to review this!<p> 


	2. Tell Me More

**Tell Me More**

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><p>The lasting silence drifted over the newly found runner. Her lopsided expression suddenly changed when Blake finally realized her hand was clutching a certain item. One she had forgotten that she held onto, and was slightly amazed that her subconscious was that intelligent, especially when in the presence of some one so...Inhuman. It was pure item Blake was holding was the bag she had gotten from downstairs, the one with all her possessions. The bag settled itself easily on her shoulder. At least Blake could depend on one thing, herself.<p>

The wind picked up again, pushing her toward the labyrinth entrance, or where it had to be. All there was now was a tall and intimidating wall. Slowly, being in only a damp tee-shirt and modest shorts, crept forward and cursed the bad timing of it all. She just had to make the freaking wish. Blake would give anything for a bag of chips at the moment, and she's barely entered the offending maze. In front, it was oddly beautiful. Instead of the dead grass, sullen flowers, and rusty fountains that she assumed would litter the place were replaced by a nice set up of an organized front. The most alarming part was that Blake clearly wasn't alone, and instead found herself in the middle of a sort of situation.

Though there wasn't a huge crowd, but there was a group by the grand fountain of clear water. The girls who crowded around were oddly human, and impossibly some sort of other species. There was no way these girls could be human. There were of human normal size, but the large wings that jetted out, the matches colors of outfits, hair colors, and decorations of the body did not fit anywhere near normal. They looked like those fairies you saw in those pretty cartoons you watched as a kid. Blake couldn't help but stare at them, they were giggling and messing around with the water.

The one that stood out the most was dressed in bright red, her long dark hair spilled down her back. Her ruby lips and knee-length dress matched in a odd way, but most of all her eyes were laced with bright passion. The kind of passion you see before somebody takes you down, where anger takes them over. There were others too, all different colors and shades. For example, the blue one with soft dreamy blue hair, the green with mousy brown eyes, and of course the orange one. There was no describing that one, she just looked like a mess.

Blake attempted to find the entrance, certain that if she interrupted the seemingly friendly girls would result in an awful death. Blake could already feel the glare on her back, most possibly from the red one. Honestly, they all possessed the like quality the popular crowd held in their hands. They knew they were hot, and wanted everyone else to know that too. Just thinking about talking to those...Fools made Blake feel annoyed. Then again, Blake was going to go no where in she couldn't find the damn door.

"Damn." Blake bit her lip, and folded her arms. Forcing herself to swallow her pride, Blake turned to look at the fairies, rolling her eyes to herself. This would be a long trip. "Excuse me, where is the door?" Blake asked, motioning to the wall with a free hand. The snickers that came from the group made Blake feel a bit foolish. The red one stepped forward, automatically. Without hesitation, she eyed Blake judging to herself, and clearly didn't like what was there.

"Why don't you turn around?" The red one sneered, putting her hands on her hips. Clearly, she was the queen bee out of all of them. The others watched intently, and then laughed at Blake and her confusion. Blake glanced back at the door, shocked that it suddenly appeared. Blake made an annoyed sound, and turned her attention back to the red fairy. Blake weighed her options of whether or not she could take this one down.

"Guys, let her be. She's the new runner! Isn't it exciting?" Suddenly, without any warning, a yellow inspired girl pushed the others out of her way. This girl was different from the others. Her spirit seemed to radiate off her, and didn't pay attention to the tension she caused. Her long, wavy, dark blond hair shined with the sun. Her eyes were a bright blue, and had long limbs to complete her look. Her smile was nice and pleasant, and made Blake feel a bit better.

"Alice, you don't know if she's a contagious or not." The red one snapped, as if Blake had been diseased. Blake tapped her foot, ready to get on with the journey. The yellow girl, who appeared to be Alice, rushed forward in excitement. Stumbling closer, Alice almost knocked the red girl off her feet. Her eyes found Blake easily, and the girl waved with amusement in her eyes.

"Oh, Reagan. You're so mean to everyone. She seems alright to me!" Alice stood to her full height, maybe Alice was the queen instead. The red one stepped down, a major hit to her pride. Blake repressed a sarcastic laugh, thinking better of it. Who knows if the yellow one is even sane, let alone willing to actually help her. It's most likely a trap, and one Blake should avoid.

"Hey, I'm Alice. You're lucky we're here today, we love to see a runner. It's quite interesting, we bet and everything." Alice chattered, Blake had a feeling Alice could talk her whole day away. "Anyways, I'd be glad to help you get started. I once saw a poor boy spend 2 hours out here. He didn't make it too far, broke his arm too..." Alice clicked her tongue, as if to mourn the memory. Blake was guessing he was far from the worst of the lot of past runners.

"Uh..." Blake answered, feeling the blaring sun on her back. The awkwardness failed to reach Alice, but Blake sure did feel it. The others didn't welcome her, but at least there was one kind person in the area. Most of her journey will be difficult, and it would be nice to have a potential buddy.

"Come on, we don't have all day!" Before Blake knew it, the girl had grabbed her arm and pulled her through the impossibly large doors. The others didn't try to follow, and Blake was a bit relieved. Good riddance, they were more of a distraction anyways. Even with Alice around it was hard for Blake to get her grip in the maze. The girl stopped once the door closed behind them. As Blake looked left and right, a sense of being lost fell over her. There seemed to be no end, and no turns!

"Yea, ugh...Do you notice how there isn't any turns, or maybe I'm just crazy." Blake said, spinning in circles to look back toward each way. The paths were not nearly as groomed as the outside, grass and bits of granite everywhere. Perhaps it was a mistake to try and get through the maze. Blake had to remind herself of Eddie, though he was a cry baby he sure deserved a normal life. He was adorable in that helpless way, and Blake was no quitter.

"Of course there is! You just got to look for them!" Alice told her, taking her hand once more and pulling her along the path. "So what's your name?" Alice wheezed as they ran alongside the wall. The path seemed never ending, and Blake glanced at her newly found friend. Oh yea, Blake never really introduced herself. Now would be a good time to introduce herself, of course.

"Oh, I'm Blake. I guess you could say I'm the most recent runner." Blake replied, her feet kicking up a bit of dust as they jogged along. After a few moments, Blake pulled back, banging the wall in pure annoyance. Blake yelled and kicked the wall, which had no effect what-so-ever. She was getting no where!

"Listen, Blake, you have to be patient! I found a turn!" Alice tugged at her shoulder, her long hair fanning over her face. Blake looked at where she was motioning, and made a sarcastic laugh. There was only wall there! What was Alice possibly talking about? Blake looked toward the yellow dressed girl with a unimpressed look. "No! Really, watch this!" Alice said, and took a stride forward. Blake opened her mouth to warn Alice she was about to run into a wall, but was shocked to see Alice standing in another path way, smiling back at her.

"Blake, nothing is what it ever seems here." Alice wisely said, putting her hands behind her back. "I'd like to give you a bit of advice before I leave. Whatever you do, be careful of who you trust inside the Labyrinth. Most of the people here aren't mentally sound, and want to kept the runner from completing the Labyrinth, no matter the cost. Just know that there are really bad things in here. Nobody but yourself can protect you from them. I would love to stay, but it's sort of against the rules." Alice shrugged her shoulders, staring up at the sky. It was a terrible color or brownish yellow, a upset sort of color.

"Oh, dear. The Labyrinth must be upset today, poor thing." Blake wondered why Alice was talking about the Labyrinth as if it was a lost puppy, or perhaps a human being. Blake bowed her head, going 'through the wall' to the next turn. Blake could already see about ten other twists and turns. It's amazing what you can see once you saw something else once. "If you need me though, just call my name! You can summon a lot of people that way, but be careful not to call Matt himself. He's about as grumpy as a old man." Alice laughed, it was clearly a joke.

"Uh, who is Matt?" Blake asked, out of curiosity. Her eyes never ceased to stop, but kept wondering around the maze, trying to think of a plan. Hopefully most of the maze will be as easy as this. With Blake's luck, it won't be. As Blake finally made her gaze go back to Alice, she was met with a look on confusion.

"Why, he's the Goblin King silly!" Alice pushed at Blake's shoulder playfully, and Blake held back the instinct to punch her back. Blake wasn't ever much of a sport, especially when it actually came to a sport. Being competitive did have advantages, it may help her in the Labyrinth if she's clever enough.

"Oh, well...In the story my grandmother told me, before I had found the book, his name was well...Jareth. Matt sounds like a everyday, normal guy name. What kind of king would be named Matt?" Blake questioned, laughing at how lame it sounded. All of this was all a bit silly, but what got Blake the most was his name. A thousand magical sounding names to choose from, and the boy got stuck with such a human name? What a shame!

"Well, his mother was a human. Actually, she was a runner. The first to ever beat the maze! She's quite a lovely women, always visits when she can. Sarah was always sort of magical, but Matt was originally first in line. His brother, Seth, which I am not sure if his name is any better, but Seth was supposed to be the Goblin King. That's another story." Alice rambled on, but Blake wasn't really listening anymore. Her mind was set on the prize, it was only a matter of time now.

"Thanks for the help-" Blake looked up, but found that nobody else was there. Blake twirled once, and then twice but she was completely alone. Even after just a few moments the silence felt overwhelming, and ready to push Blake over the edge. "I wish I was that cool to disappear like that." Blake said to herself, before taking the left path. It had to go some where, right?

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><p>Thanks for reading! Don't forget to review!<p> 


	3. Short Break

**Author's Note:  
><strong>Sorry for not being active in a while. Stuff comes up and blah. Anyways, this is wicked short because I just wanted to give something to the story. Hopefully more will come. Don't forget to comment!

**Chapter 3**: Short Break

"Alright, so Sarah and Jareth were the originals. Does this make me more lucky to have the son, or worse off?" Blake asked out loud, knowing no answer would come. "Damn, this is unfair. Total shit! How is anybody-"

"Would you knock it off? Some people are trying to get some sleep." A voice called, making the runner leap a foot in the air, scared that the voice came out of no where.

Turning around, a new face appeared from the wall. Only it wasn't the wall, he just walked through one of the turns. No progress has been made, as if Blake has been going in circles. There was no way she could complete this in only 13 hours! That was murder! That was impossible!

"Oh, my bad. I'm just trying to find the kid I'm babysitting through a maze of magical crap I don't really know how to get through. So, I'm so sorry I don't really care for your sleeping habits." Blake couldn't help but hiss, but the stress was overwhelming. Who knew words could get you in such a mess. Oh, yes, everyone does but Blake.

"Shut up already. Feeling bad will get you no where." A slick voice again answered. He was no goblin, but a human boy. Perhaps boy wasn't the right word, but between a man and a boy. No older then 21, if that. He had dark hair, but nothing compared to Matt's, that hung almost to his shoulders. He was no way fashionable compared to the real world, probably looked something like a punk rock star, but dressed accordingly to a noble from the Renaissance age.

"You're a big boy because you talk back." Her comeback wasn't very well thought out, but it was something rather then nothing.

"I can leave you here, you know." He offered, stepping back as if to disappear off again.

"Wait!" Blake reached forward to grad his shirt. "Ok, I get it. I'm an idiot, and I need help." Taking a hit to her pride was almost too much to take for good ol' Blake. Blake didn't even take one during the time the world frowned upon her, but here was different. This world had no rules.

"Say you're sorry." The man smirked slightly, and for a moment Blake wondered if this was trick, if maybe this was secretly the Goblin King who was hidden under another face of some kind.

"I'm sorry." Blake said through her teeth, her grip tightening. What a pompous man.

"So, you're the new runner." The man guided her to sat on the stone bench a little ways away. The walls had turned into hedges, but it was easy to see where the hedges stopped and the stone wall started. It was hardly any progress at all, considering the path in its whole. "I'm Zeke."

"I'm Blake, and I guess everyone can tell I'm a runner, but what are you doing here? I thought only Goblins and the Goblin King lived here?" Blake admitted, pulling at the ripped clothing she had on.

"I actually was a wished away kid, all grown up now. None of the kids get turned into Goblins, that would be wasteful. And a lot of species live here, everything you can imagine. It gets...Annoying." Zeke ran a hand through his hair.

"That's not the way the story goes." Blake accused. "Perhaps you don't even exist, I might be imaging you!"

"Then you've got a vivid imagination." Zeke reached over to pinch her, to prove his argument. "See, I'm real. And whatever story you've picked up is just one side of things."

"All of this is stupid." Blake crossed her arms. "It's unfair!"

"You haven't even seen the harder stuff! This is the edge of the Labyrinth, I haven't met a more unsuited runner before you. I bet you can't even make it through half the Labyrinth!" Zeke was smiling now, but only because he was trying to egg her on. What fun would it be if she failed miserably? His teasing and poking would surely bring out her competitive side to at least make it somewhere.

"Shut up! I can do it." Blake spat back at the cocky man and stood up. "And without your help!" That was more of a bet to herself. Blake pushed back him and couldn't help but feel insulted by his words. Perhaps he was right to assume her attitude would get her no where.

"Fine then! I will come along just to see you fail!" Zeke snickered in her ear, earning a jab from her elbow.

"Don't follow me!" Blake rolled her eyes, not wanting to have to deal with him anymore more then the time already spent. Besides, he was no good company anyways.

"Too late!" Zeke marched alongside her, and the two set off to start their adventure together.


End file.
